What We Believe

The below statements are direct quotes from the Statement of Faith in our Constitution & By-Laws. They represent our core beliefs which guide, inspire and lead us in our walk with God.

We believe the Bible to be the inspired and only infallible, authoritative Word of God. (II Tim. 3:16,17)

We believe in the triune Godhead as eternally existent in three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (II Cor. 13:14)

We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious death and atonement through His shed Blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His present priestly ministry. (I Tim. 3:16; Rom. 3:25,26)

We believe in evangelistic and missionary fervor and endeavor. (Acts 1:8; Mark 16:15-18)

We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful man, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential. We further believe in the keeping power of God. ( Heb. 9:22; Jude 24,25)

We believe that sanctification, holiness and the overcoming life is God’s design for the Church, which is the Bride of Christ. (Eph. 5:25-27)

We believe that sexual purity is a necessary expression for all of God’s children and requires abstinence from adultery, fornication, incest, homosexuality, or other sexual relationships or practices forbidden by Scripture. (Heb. 13:4; I Cor. 6:18; Lev. 18:1-30)

We believe that marriage is the uniting of one man born as a male1 and one woman born as a female1 in covenant commitment for a lifetime and is a sacred institution established by God. (Matt. 19:4-6)

We believe that since mankind is created in God’s image, human life is of inestimable worth and significance in all its dimensions, from conception to the grave. (Gen. 1:27; Psalm 139:13,14)

We believe that water baptism2 is for believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, bearing witness to the Gospel of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection and sealing one’s commitment to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. (Matt. 28:19; Rom. 6:4)

We believe that Communion, when shared by believers, witnesses to the saving power of the Gospel, to Christ’s presence in His Church, and looks forward to His victorious return. (I Cor. 11:23-26)

We believe in the Baptism in the Holy Spirit as on the day of Pentecost and in the continuing ministry of the Holy Spirit as evidenced in charismatic gifts and ministries, and in the fruit of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. (Acts 2:4; Acts 10:46; Acts 19:6; Eph. 4:11; I Cor. 12:8-11; Gal. 5:22,23)

We believe that divine healing is obtained on the basis of the Atonement.3 (I Pet. 2:24; Matt. 8:17)

We believe in Christ’s imminent personal return in power and great glory, and in His present and everlasting dominion. (Acts 1:8; Rev. 1:7; Dan. 7:14)

We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost: they that are saved unto the resurrection of eternal life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of eternal punishment. (Jn. 5:28,29; Rev. 20:15)

The words born as a male and born as a female are our addition to Elim’s Faith Statement, recognizing the increasing inclination of some to seek a sex change. We believe that marriage is between a man who was born a man and a woman who was born a woman.

Our preference is for immersion in water, but we have changed Elim’s Faith Statement to allow for sprinkling if time and circumstances make it necessary.

Atonement: The process of reconciliation with God, i.e., the Cross of Jesus Christ.